Member Article

Aspiring hairdressers show they’re a cut above, securing new apprenticeships

Two would-be hair stylists are celebrating after securing apprenticeships at The Bespoke Experience hair salon in Redcar.

20-year old Jordan Thompson, from Redcar and 18-year old Cerise Kalia, who lives in Dormanstown, have started their Level 2 hairdressing qualifications at the salon, with the support of Beyond Housing’s New Directions team.

Cerise had previously enrolled at college to train in hairdressing, but soon realised it was difficult to get a job without salon experience. After working with New Directions, she chose not to return to college but to start an apprenticeship in order to gain practical work experience, get paid a wage and obtain her qualifications.

Jordan had a few short-term jobs, started an apprenticeship in construction and realised quickly it wasn’t for him. After working in retail, he knew that he wanted an apprenticeship to gain qualifications but did not know which profession to train in. With the help of New Directions and The Bespoke Experience in Redcar, he is studying for qualifications in English and maths, while training to become a hairdresser. Jordan believes he has finally found the career he wants.

New Directions supports people aged 15 to 29 who are not in education, employment or training with specialist support, information advice and guidance, training, mentoring, apprenticeships, job placements and further education to help these young people meet the needs of local employers. It has a proven track record of matching jobseekers to the needs of a business.

Cerise said: “I’m so grateful to the team at New Directions for helping me to find an alternative to college, which provided me with the right mix of knowledge and hands-on learning. The whole team at The Bespoke Experience have been so welcoming.”

Jordan said: “Moving from construction to hairdressing doesn’t seem like an obvious choice, but for me it’s the perfect fit. With the help of the New Directions team I was able to choose my forever-career.”

Johanna Watts, Employer Engagement Officer at Beyond Housing said: “Helping young people like Jordan and Cerise into the apprenticeships that are right for them and seeing them develop their skills, is what makes this job so rewarding.

“Partners like The Bespoke Experience, who have many years’ experience delivering training, are a gift to young people.”

Yvonne Couhig, owner of The Bespoke Experience, said: “We are delighted to have Jordan and Cerise working with us. They’re a real asset to the business, and I’m sure they’ll make great hairdressers one day.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by News Gathering .